bite

C h a p t e r   2

 

 It wrapped around me like a blizzard near its end trying to last as long as it could before dieing. As the pain and the cold became worse I saw a little prick of light that shot down towards me, then everything was gone. There was no cold, no pain and no light, only darkness that consumed me.

 

From within the darkness I heard something, something moving fast and getting closer. I was dropped into my worst nightmare. I was lying on the ground and there were spiders crawling everywhere. I was frozen, I didnt dare move. Webs covered me and I wanted to scream, if not for the fact that there were webs on my face. I tried to breath through my nose but as I inhaled webs were sucked in. that's when my arm twitched from my fear, a pain shot through my leg and I sat up forgetting about the webs. What I saw made my fear levels shoot up high, a spider the size of a basket ball had bitten my leg. It hissed and then left, crawling away. The pain in my leg became worse, I tore off the webs and screamed. the image infront of me became fractured and it fell away like pieces of broken glass. I looked around but all I saw was darkness. "roza, are you awake?" I looked to my left and saw erik sitting beside me. Before I could stop it tears poored down my face and I fell on him, crying like a 5 year old after a nightmare. He didn't say anything, I doubt he even knew what to say so he just held me. When my tears stopped i was emotionally and physically drained. I couldn't sit up, I couldn't speak all i did was lie there trying to steady my breathing. erik picked me up and put me in my seat properly and i faintly heard an engine start. leaning against a window i saw shapes pass by and lights.

 

the engine stop eventually and I was picked up and carried several steps. i leaned into erik gripping his leather jacket  as he walked. there loud bang and my body jerked a little at the sound. "oh god, roza" I heard a familiar voice. "did she change?"

 

"no, she didn't, she was close though" that sad voicethat sounded like erik. How could I put a name to his voice when I hardly knew the kid? a different set of arms picked me up and my grip tightened on erik. i was pulled harder and i lost my grip, a small wimper escaping my lips. "don't come try helping her next time, she can do this."

 

I heard a laugh "ya well it happened during school. So your just going to let her do that in front of all those people." without another word a door was slammed. I was taken in to a dark room and was put onto a bed. I fell asleep as soon as I was comfortable.

 

When I woke up my body hurt. I had no clue how long I'd been sleeping. Luckly my nana walked in not to soon after, with a warm smile on her face. "nana what happened?" I asked. Her smile slipped but it was barley noticeable. "you fainted during school. So now you're home. You can't go to school for a little though"

 

"shouldn't I be in the hospital then?" she shook her head "we already did." i knew that was a lie "All you need is sleep and you'll get all better" not wanting to push the subject I nodded and she left. i carefully got out bed to get changed but when i looked down there was a bruise on my leg, right where the nightmare spider had bitten. it looked like a hand print but where the thumb should have been was much darker like someone dug there thumb into my skin. so many questions but im so tired, i thought. i crawled back into bed and fell asleep.

 

"roza, wake up" nana said. I opened my eyes to look up at her. "me and your grandpa are going to go to town for a little. "Are you going to be okay alone" I nodded my head and closed my eyes again. I heard nana leave the room a little after I heard the truck leave. it had been a week since i "fainted" and once I head them leave I got up and went to the back door, they had band me from going outside the whole week and had kept the doors and windows covered. It looked about midday and it looked cold, just the way i liked it. With a smile I opened the door as a gush of wind came through the door. The hair on my arms stood up as I breathed in deeply. It had been too long since I'd been outside with this chilly air. I sat on the steps, closed my eyes and rested my head against the stair posts. I felt so relaxed, so calm, something I hadn't felt in such a long time but it wasn't going to last long. A hand touched my cheek and as fast as lightening my eyes flew open and I grabbed the hand. I looked up to see a figure stand against the sun, I couldn't see their face.

"sorry to scare you I just came over to see how you were"

"erik?" I said. I heard a chuckle and then he sat next to me. He handed me a thermas. "how you feeling?" I leaned against him. "tired but nothing else. although my right leg is killing me. Whats this?" I asked looking at the thermas. "oh my mom made some soup and I thought I'd bring some over since you were sick" I looked at the thermas. "tell me everything" I said. I felt him stiffen. "I don't know what you mean"

"don't lie to me, I know something is going on. This town is too weird" he abruptly got up, almost making me fall over. "like I said I don't know what you mean." and he started walking away. "then why did you tell me to have those dreams" I saw him hesitate but he didn't stop. "now you just sound crazy" and he left. I stood and went back inside, opening the thermos  I took a deep breath of the soup. the smell was familiar, too familiar. My head started hurting as images flashed passed my eyes. "she smells horrible" there was a room and then a woman in the door. "s**t she woke up." I felt fear. The last memory that passed through my mind was her words: "this is your families fault" I opened my eyes and gasped. I was sitting on the floor, still holding the thermos. What had just happened? I looked around the room, nothing seemed to of changed but I couldn't stay in my room. I put the lid on the thermos and threw it onto my bed. i turned and ran out the door and towards where erik had started walking then the pain started, i tripping and hit the ground. I heard myself scream, I dug my nails into the ground as i screamed again. I faintly hear the thud of feet running towards where i lie. Instead of helping me I felt nails dig into my skin and I screamed again as pain shot through my whole body. My head shot up so I was looking at the ceiling, my breath became eratic and I couldn't get enough air. The sides of my vision was starting to blur and I started falling to the side. I saw the person who had come running in. the last thing I thought of before the pain consumed me was why was I being hurt instead of comforted.

 

I woke up in my bed. Was that a dream? It felt too real. I quickly sat up and looked at my upper arm where i had been grabbed me. My breath caught in my throat as i saw another bruise there, in the shape of a hand, the tips darker then the rest. I got out of the bed and put on a different shirt so it would cover the bruises and went into the kitchen. My nana was making dinner. When I walked in I went to grab an apple but my nana said "if you eat that your going to spoil your dinner" I looked at her confused. "how'd u know I was here?"

 

"I've got eyes in the back of my head" I sighed and put the apple back down. "what is today?" I asked. "its Wednesday, we couldnt wake you yesterday when we came home, guess you ran yourself out yesterday but your going back to school tomorrow if you feel well enough."

I sat down at the table "ya I feel fine." but I need to talk to erik, I thought. "ok, then go watch tv dinner will be done soon" I went and sat in the living room waiting for dinner, when it was dinner we ate in silence and then I was sent to my room to sleep, like I havent gotten enough of that already. I looked at my phone and saw I had recieved over 30 text messages from Jeremy. I sat there reading all of them:

-Hey babe how are you?

-Doll are you mad at me?

-Im sorry for wat ever I did

-Plz don't be mad

-I didn't mean to do that just listen to me

-Laura means nothing to me

Laura? What does laura have to do with anything.

-Come on, I was sooo drunk and I didn't kno wat was going on

-Stop being mean im sorry

A few messages went on lik that for a bit but the last two were the worst:

-Fine be a b***h see if I care, we're threw

-Hey this is laura you better leave my new man alone or im gona pound you

I felt a few tears fall. how could they do this to me, I had just lost my family and now my best friend and boyfriend just left me, i was truly alone. lying in my bed i stared at the back door. My eyes started to fall as I watched it get darker outside.

 

I woke up at 6 and started getting ready, feeling utterly dead inside. Not even my favorite clothes could cheer me up. i walked into the kitchen for breakfast feeling empty. Once I was done I left to go to school, my motorcycle sitting outside the garage like my grandparents had promised. as i pulled into the school i felt the stares of other students. I was followed by whispers and laughs and giggles when i entered the school. Every high school is the same, I thought, People are always the same, the teachers are too, I'll never get away from peoples bull. When classes started I went to my home room and sat in my spot. I heard kids talk about what had happened to me, hearing I had fainted, that I had run away with erik and so much more. The kids at the back of the class were strangely quiet, "who do you think you are?" I heard behind me, I turned to look a blonde girl in the face. "why im roza quorra and you are?" I said sarcastically. She scowled at me. "don't do that, you'll get wrinkles" I told her and turned to the front of the class. Math wasn't any better and even angela avoided me. Great now I really was alone. When it was lunch I picked a spot where no one else was at the side of the school with very few people walking by. looking for the bruises i found them healed, I'd always healed fast but this was crazy. as an experiment i took my nail and ran it down my wrist and watched as blood pooled there, i repeatedly did this again and again just watching the blood pool and drip off my arm. By the time I realised someone was watching me it was too late to deny it. I quickly wiped off my hand onto my skirt, looking up I saw erik. "what do you want? You want to make fun of me too?" he just stared at me. "well if your just going to stare at me then leave" I said. I was angry but not at him, at myself because I was pushing someone else away from me as I yelled at him again. "you doing nothing but just standing there staring." he watched me still. His eyes shifted to my wrist then back up to my eyes. "what, I've lost everyone I ever cared about and im alone, whats wrong with doing this" I yelled. He slowely walked over to me. "you shouldn't do this. You'll just hurt yourself more" I laughed. "what do you care. You didn't even help when I got hurt yesterday you just grabbed my arm and left bruises" he looked up at me. "I don't remember that" I lifted the shirt to show the bruises, remembering too late that they were already gone. Tears escaped my eyes, "but they were there. You were the one who ran into me when it started hurting." he had wiped all the blood off my wrists and froze. "s**t" I heard him whisper. "what?" he got up fast and started dragging me behind him towards the parking lot. "whats going on?" I asked again, frightened. "something big and this time it wont stop" i pulled my arm, his grip too hard to get out of but i was somehow strong enough to turn him or maybe he turned. he looked down at me as i felt a familiar pain. he pulled my arm and i was right up against him and before i could react he lifted my head and his lip met mine. the kiss was sweet and powerful. he pulled away a little whispering "we're mates and youre a part of somthing huge and i'll explain but we need to go, now can get in please." i nodded but pulled him back to me for one more kiss before we left. we reached his truck and as I climbed in he started the engine. We wized out of the parking lot in a flash and were driving down the road fast. I felt my heart start to speed up as I became more frightened. I clutched my chest as i tried to take deep breaths as the familiar pain started. I heard erik swear, he took a sharp turn off the road and onto a logging road. I bounced in my seat but grabbed on trying to keep my self from bouncing. Once we got to a clearing he stopped the truck, turned off the engine and told me to get out. As soon as I got out I fell, the pain was too much. Erik was right there though and caught me. Stumbling to the back of the truck, my eyes closed and I fell. Erik picked me up completely and he got both of us under the canopy in the back of his truck. My eyes opened as I looked up to see erik above me, he didn't see my eyes open. When I heard the canopy door close I felt erik check my pulse and take off my shoes, I tried moving away but I was too weak. I closed my eyes as the pain got worse and worse. I faintly heard myself say no and erik say "im sorry" my mind slipped away and I felt my body tighten into a ball as if my entire body was changing shape.

I woke up and it was warm, I opened my eyes and I saw I was still in the canopy but the door was open. I quickly made my way to the door and jumped down but there was a problem, everything seemed to be twice as big as I was. I looked around and could still see the forest and everything. I didn't want this to happen yet because it's not something you should have been put through. I heard Erik’s voice in my head; this is going to be quite a shock for you, was for me. I slightly turned my head to look at Erik but instead saw a large black wolf. I tried to back up but tripped, looking down i saw black paws. What’s going on, i thought. Um, you’re sort of a werewolf kinda thing, was Erik’s reply, or a shape shifter if you wana say. The wolf walked over to me, rubbing his muzzle against mine. I don’t understand, i told him. That’s ok, I’ll teach you, and I could hear the smile in his voice. I got back up a little wobbly on my new feet, trying to walk forward and failing, falling again. Don’t think about it, just walk. I looked at him and heard his mental laugh, and then i nipped at him, taking him by surprise. That’s when we started running around, chasing each other as i got used to my legs. until the howling begun, freezing i looked at Erik, he was completely still. We need to leave now, he said desperately pushing me in the side to run a certain direction. Why i thought it would be like a pack and stuff.

Its like that after, you have a test first; once someone changes for the first time, they’re hunted. If they can get away or hide for three days they live and if they can’t... he stopped before he would continue but i knew what he was going to say. He started pushing me again as we ran, still a little awkward it was hard for me to keep up. As we ran I could see flashes of fur around us making us run faster. That way, he told me as he pushed me down a hill and into a river. As we swam across the frigid water I could hear howling from the river banks. Why aren’t they following?, I asked. The barrer, was the only reply I got. As we reached the opposite of the river erik ran off ahead of me leaving me to shake out my fur. He came back but when he did he was human and was clothed. “don’t worry” he said, “I’ll teach you how to change back but we need to get to Andrews first.” He turned and left knowing I would follow him. It wasn’t a long walk to Andrews but every muscle in my body screamed for rest. As we reached the house Andrew greeted us, giving me a smile and ushering us into a garage. The two boys started talking, my attention was grabbed my the motorcycle not 10 feet away, it was my motorcycle. I walked over the the bike and started inhaling the familiar scents and felt my muscles loosen. “looks like she figured out how to change back dude.” I heard Andrew. I opened my eyes to look at the boys and noticed that I had turned back but with a down fall of no clothes. How lucky was I that the bike hid my body. Andrew laughed as I started blushing and hid even more behind my bike. Thankfully erik walked over with a blanket and draped it over my shoulders. “roza, im proud of you” he gave me a smile. “luckly we brought you some clothes” Andrew was still laughing as he grabbed a bag out of a chest. “washrooms over there” he pointed still laughing. Almost running to the washroom I got changed quickly and came out in a pair of shorts and a plaid button shirt. The two were still talking when I came out and I caught the last bit of a sentence. “but you have to come with us andrew. If you stay here, they’ll kill you too” there was a sigh. “I know, but I cant leave without her”

“then bring her with you”

“I cant, its not that easy”

“how?”

I rounded the corner and leaned against the wall “because they have her” both turned to look at me. All of Andrews laughing attitude was gone and he looked very sad. "shes your mate, right?" he nodded “then we’ll get her” I told him. He gave a short sarcastic laugh as I walked over to them. “how could you help. No one ever gets away.”

“it’s the only plan we have” erik told him. “now lets plan better”